Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the scheme, and more arrests are anticipated
Credit: LAPD
NEED TO KNOW
- The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Cargo Theft Task Force recovered $1 million worth of stolen clothing and other train cargo on Thursday, April 2
- The haul included items from Edikted, Alo, SKIMS, Ariat, Milwaukee, Ninja, Dyson, Duracell and more brands
- Hannah Noto of North Hills and Jude Bigay of Sunland were arrested and charged in connection with the $1 million theft
The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Cargo Theft Task Force recovered $1 million worth of stolen clothing and other train cargo on Thursday, April 2.
The LAPD announced the recovery of stolen items in a release shared on X, confirming that two arrests were made in connection with the theft on Wednesday, April 1.
"Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division – Cargo Theft Task Force, in collaboration with the Union Pacific Railroad Police, BNSF Police, Los Angeles World Airport Police, Los Angeles District Attorney's Office – Bureau of Investigation, and HSI's Cargo Theft Group, executed search warrants in North Hills, West Los Angeles, Sunland, and Van Nuys," the release read.
Investigators arrested Hannah Noto of North Hills and Jude Bigay of Sunland in connection with the robbery.
"The two suspects admitted to their involvement to defraud multiple clothing companies through an e-commerce scheme, then selling the stolen property on a popular live-streaming shopping platform, called Whatnot," the LAPD release alleged.
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Police then obtained a search warrant for a warehouse on the 16700 block of Stagg Street in Van Nuys, Calif., where "over 55 pallets of stolen commercial and train cargo was discovered," per the release. The haul included items from EDIKTED, ALO, SKIMS, Ariat, Milwaukee, Ninja, Dyson, Duracell, and more. The massive amount of clothing items are estimated to be worth $1 million, per LAPD.
Noto, 25, and Bigay, 26, were booked into the Van Nuys Jail on felony receiving stolen property charges. Both have since been released, according to jail records reviewed by PEOPLE. Noto's next court date is on April 22, while Bigay is due to appear in court the following day, on April 23.
"This case underscores the importance of interagency collaboration in combating large-scale cargo theft and preserving the integrity of commercial supply chains," the LAPD added. "The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected."
This is the second major cargo theft scheme unveiled in the Los Angeles area in recent months. In March, detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office (LASD) found and seized approximately $7 million in stolen goods from 36 companies, including JB Hunt, Amazon, Sony, LG, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Costco, Wolff Shoes, Monster Energy and Disney, per LASD. $1 million in cash was also recovered.
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